


The Parents

by summers-maclay-lehane (ofstormsandwolves)



Series: Sunnydale 2019 [7]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Child Neglect, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23812099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofstormsandwolves/pseuds/summers-maclay-lehane
Summary: Giles and Joyce make some unnerving discoveries about the home lives of two of Buffy's closest friends...
Relationships: Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers, Rupert Giles/Joyce Summers
Series: Sunnydale 2019 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1377481
Kudos: 60





	The Parents

_Willow-_

_Your father and I have been offered a last-minute opportunity to present our most recent paper at a psychology conference in New York. We’ll be back on Monday, but there’s food in the fridge and money next to the toaster if you need anything-_

Willow crumpled the note up without finishing it. There was a dull ache in her stomach, the slow realisation that yet again her parents had left her home alone. For lots of teenagers, that would be the dream. But with it being a regular occurrence in the Rosenberg home, all Willow felt was a kind of hollow emptiness. Just once, she’d like her parents to at least ask if she was alright with them going away for a while. She understood that these sorts of conferences and events were important for her parents, and she _was_ proud of them for being asked to present their paper. Her parents worked hard, and they were good psychologists. But ironically, they never quite seemed to understand the psychological effect their absent parenting had on their daughter.

Letting out a sigh, Willow looked around the empty house. It was times like this when she usually called Xander. Having him around meant she felt less alone, and it had the added bonus of getting him away from his own parents. But it was a Thursday evening, a school night, and nearly time for dinner. If she were to call or text Xander now, she ran the risk of making his dad angry, and it wouldn’t bode well for Xander.

She bit her lip and considered her options. There was one other place she could call, a phone number on a piece of paper tucked away in her desk drawer. She’d never called it, had always been adamant she was fine being home alone. But for whatever reason, this time her parents leaving her seemed to sting more. Mind made up, she padded from the kitchen to her bedroom, and rooted through her desk drawer. Finding the number, she fished her cell phone out of her pocket and tapped in the numbers.

The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

“Oh,” Willow said, a little surprised by the voice on the end of her phone. “Mrs Giles. It’s, uh, it’s Willow. I was wondering if I could come over.”

* * *

Willow arrived at Revello Drive to find Giles setting an extra place at the dining table.

“A- Are you sure you don’t mind?” Willow asked nervously once Joyce had let her into the house. Despite having been friends with Buffy for several months now, and seeing Giles in the library every day at school, she hadn’t been around Joyce very much. While the woman seemed perfectly nice, Willow couldn’t help but be a little nervous.

“It’s no trouble, honey,” Joyce said, giving Willow a slightly tight smile even as her words seemed sincere. “We’re having mac and cheese. I hope that’s alright with you?”

Willow gave a small smile and a nod, and Joyce disappeared back into the kitchen.

“Where are your parents this time?” Buffy asked from the sitting room doorway, giving her friend a sympathetic smile. 

“New York,” Willow answered morosely. “They’re flying back on Monday. They must have left while I was at school.”

Buffy frowned. “Well that sucks,” she said, leading the redhead into the dining room.

Giles had finished setting the table, and fixed the two girls with a look. “What would you two like to drink?” Buffy opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Giles spoke again. “And you’re not having soda.”

Pouting a little, Buffy shrugged and slumped into a seat. Willow slid into the chair beside her.

“Water’s fine,” Willow said with another small smile.

Giles gave a reassuring smile back, and Buffy let out a sigh before asking for water as well. As Giles left the room to get the drinks, the blonde turned back to her friend.

“Are you ok?” she asked, brow furrowed in concern. “I mean, not that it’s not great you’re here for dinner and all, but when Mom gave you our number months ago I kinda figured you just took it to be polite.”

Willow shrugged uncomfortably. “I’m _usually_ ok,” she admitted quietly, and it worried her how fragile her voice sounded, how close to tears she seemed. She took a breath, tried again. “I mean, I’m sixteen, I should _love_ having the house to myself. But my parents _have_ been out of the house a lot recently, and when they have been around, they’re busy working. And, and I get that. Work’s important. But after a while, having the house to yourself stops feeling fun.”

Buffy sighed quietly then, before shifting her chair closer to Willow’s and wrapping an arm around the other girl’s shoulders to give her a one-armed hug.

“You could have called me, you know,” Buffy said quietly after a moment. “That way I could have asked Mom for you.”

The other girl gave another uneasy shrug. “It’s ok. I mean, your mom gave me your home number for this sort of reason, so...” She trailed off, thought for a moment. “It just threw me, I guess. I suppose I thought you’d answer the phone, or Giles.” She looked to Buffy then, dropping her voice to a whisper. “I don’t exactly know your mom very well, and...” She trailed off again, shaking her head.

Buffy frowned. “Will,” she said gently, “Mom isn’t mad at you for calling. Actually, I think she’s kind of glad. And it’s entirely possible she’s gonna talk you into spending the night here, so don’t be surprised if Giles has to run you home to grab a change of clothes and your school stuff.”

“But... When I got here...” Willow’s voice was still quiet and nervous, and her eyes kept darting to the kitchen, where the two adults were putting the finishing touches to dinner. 

“Mom wasn’t too happy when you explained you hadn’t realised your parents were away for the weekend. She interrogated me and Giles, wanted to know why we hadn’t invited you round ourselves. We pointed out that if _you_ hadn’t known they were going away then there was no way _we’d_ know.” It was Buffy’s turn to shrug then, even as she forced a smile onto her face. “Mom’s not angry with you. She’s just a little... _Frustrated_ with your parents.”

Giles came back into the room then, with two glasses of water, and it suddenly occurred to Willow that it had taken him a while to get the drinks. More than likely, he’d been giving her and Buffy space to talk. Part of Willow was grateful for that, though another part of her was a little embarrassed and the colour of her cheeks betrayed it. 

But Giles, to his credit, simply smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen as Joyce brought in the bowl of mac and cheese. When Giles returned with the side salad, everyone took their seats at the table and the food was passed round.

Willow watched everything with a polite quietness, silently taking in Buffy’s home life. Giles sat at the head of the table, but it seemed to have no real symbolic meaning behind it like it did at Xander’s house. In the Harris household, Tony Harris got his food first and sat at the head of the table and dominated the conversation. In the Giles-Summers residence, everything seemed... Nicer. It was certainly more relaxed. And while there was minimal conversation as the food was passed around, Willow found that she was alright with that. In her own home, she was often so pleased to have both her parents eating dinner with her that she was always eager to tell them absolutely everything about her day, her schooling, her friends, and more before they disappeared off on another trip or tucked themselves away to research.

“Will?” Buffy prompted quietly, startling Willow from her quiet observations.

Buffy had pushed the dish of mac and cheese towards her, and Willow realised she was the only one without food on her plate. Blinking, and flushing red, she quickly moved to rectify that.

“So, girls,” Joyce said as she passed the salad across the table to them, “how was school?”

* * *

Had Willow given it much thought, she probably would have assumed that eating dinner with the school librarian would be a little odd even for her, even with being his step-daughter’s friend. But somehow, Giles and Joyce skirted around the elephant in the room that went by the name of Ira-and-Sheila-Rosenberg and chatted with Willow in much the same way they talked with Buffy. 

Joyce’s earlier annoyance at Willow’s parents had either been forgotten or at the very least temporarily pushed aside, and she was calm and smiling as Willow talked about her history class.

“Willow’s very good at history,” Giles said to his wife before giving the girl in question a fond smile. “In fact I think I might have some books upstairs you’d find interesting.”

Willow brightened at that, but Buffy groaned. “Giles, not _everyone_ reads textbooks for _fun_ ,” the blonde grumbled.

But beside her, Willow was eager and grinning. “No! No, I’d like that! Thank you, Giles!”

Giles seemed pleased with that, and apparently didn’t have a response for Willow’s eagerness, so he instead turned his attention back to his salad.

“And what about you, Buffy?” Joyce prompted her daughter. “How were your classes?”

Buffy shrugged, and pointedly avoided her parents’ eye contact. “They were fine.”

Joyce’s brow furrowed. “Weren’t you supposed to get the grades back for your history paper today?”

Buffy shrugged again, and stabbed angrily at the food on her plate. Willow fixed her attention on her own food and tried to ignore the tightness in her friend’s shoulders.

“Buffy,” Giles prompted gently, “I’m sure it’s not that bad-”

“I got a C-" Buffy ground out, dropping her cutlery onto her plate to glare at her step-father. “Are you happy now?”

An awkward silence descended on the room then, and Willow picked at her salad. She’d had a lot of practice keeping out of these sorts of family arguments from all the times she’d spent at Xander’s house growing up. So she was more than a little surprised when, instead of anger or disappointment, Joyce and Giles seemed to be rather pleased.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with a C-,” Giles said with a small smile, causing Buffy to frown at him in confusion. 

“Don’t patronise me,” Buffy responded bitterly, before glaring at her mom. “Either of you.”

Joyce looked pained at the accusation. “Oh, honey, we’re not. And C-, that’s a good grade!”

Arching an eyebrow at her mom, Buffy then looked to Willow. “Will? Your class had to do the American Revolution essay too, right?”

There was a sharpness, an anger to Buffy’s tone that made Willow uncomfortable. And she knew what was coming, knew what Buffy was hinting at. She didn’t want to be involved...

“Buffy,” Giles said warningly, eyes fixed with concern on Willow.

Buffy ignored him. “Will?” she prompted again.

Swallowing, Willow nodded. “Y-Yeah. Why?”

“What grade did you get?”

“Buffy, stop it,” Joyce interrupted quickly. “You’re making Willow uncomfortable.”

But Buffy pressed on. “What grade, Willow?”

Flushing red, Willow’s reply was hesitant and quiet. “A+.”

“A+,” Buffy echoed, before looking pointedly to her parents, arms folded across her chest. “Willow here got an A+. Don’t try and tell me my C- is good when Willow got an A+.”

Joyce clenched her jaw for a moment, before taking a breath. “Go to your room.”

“Why?” Buffy demanded, apparently wrong-footed by the order. “Willow’s here.”

“Yes, and you’re making her uncomfortable,” Joyce responded with a barely concealed anger. “So you can go to your room and stay there until you’ve calmed down.”

Buffy shoved her chair back from the table and stomped out of the room, muttering under her breath. There was an awkward silence as they listened to the girl stomp up the stairs and into her room, slamming her door behind her. Both Joyce and Giles looked rather embarrassed.

“Sorry about that,” Giles said to Willow after a moment. “You know what Buffy’s like with school work.”

Willow gave a small smile and nodded. She did of course know what Buffy was like with school work. And she also knew that her best friend had put a lot of effort into that essay, so she kind of got why her friend was so disappointed by her grade.

“I think she’s just stressed,” Willow said, hoping to sound reassuring to the two adults. “I mean, Buffy worked really hard on that essay, and she was really proud of what she’d written. I think she just hoped for a slightly higher grade.”

“Well, that doesn’t give her the right to make you uncomfortable,” Joyce said pointedly, before standing to gather the dishes.

Willow stood too, eager to help, and she ignored Giles’s and Joyce’s protests as she picked up hers and Buffy’s plates to take them to the kitchen.

“Willow,” Giles said awkwardly as he followed her into the kitchen, “Joyce and I were wondering if you would like to spend the night? I’d be happy to drive you home to pick up whatever you need, and we have a spare bedroom. Joyce can sort out bedding for you while I run you over to your place.”

Willow blinked, a slow smile on her face as she realised the adults were doing exactly as Buffy had predicted. Putting the plates on the kitchen worktop, she turned to smile to Giles. “That would be good,” she admitted. “Like I said to Buffy, it’s not that I mind being home by myself, it’s just the novelty kinda wears off after a while.”

There was a hint of concern in Giles’s eyes then, but Willow chose to ignore it. “Quite,” he said after a moment. “How about I grab my keys?”

* * *

“Your parents are psychologists, aren’t they?” Giles asked as they drove to the Rosenberg residence.

“Yeah,” Willow nodded. “Mom’s a developmental psychologist, and Dad’s an educational psychologist. They write research papers, that’s why they’re in New York this weekend.”

Giles nodded slowly at that. “And they often go away to these sorts of events?” 

The question seemed casual, curious, but Willow knew better. Ever since Giles and Joyce had found out Willow’s parents wouldn’t be attending parent-teacher night because they were out of town, they had clearly had concerns. It had been why Joyce gave Willow their home phone number, after all.

“Sometimes,” Willow admitted after a pause. 

“How long have they been doing that, then?” Giles asked, eyes still on the road. Willow saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

She was tempted not to answer, but it was _Giles_. It felt wrong to lie to him, even by omission. “A few years. When I was younger, Mom and Dad would take it in turns to go away, or if it was in school holidays or something they’d take me with them. But once I got old enough to take care of myself they started leaving me on my own. It was fun.” She paused, then quietly added: “At first.”

Giles now had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. His expression was one of barely-concealed rage. “And how old were you when that happened?”

Willow stared out the car window and shrugged. “Thirteen? I was in my last year of middle school.”

Giles said nothing at that, and the ride remained silent until Willow quietly pointed out her house.

* * *

Joyce sighed as she finished tidying away the plates and cutlery from dinner. She knew she had to go and talk to Buffy, knew that something really had to be bothering her daughter to act the way she had in front of Willow. She thought back to what Willow had said, about Buffy working really hard on that essay. Joyce had seen it, the bright gleam in her daughter’s eyes when she’d announced to Joyce that she’d finished up the essay in the library after school, the pleased look on her face as she told her mother that she had a really good feeling about her grades this year. 

While the move to Sunnydale had been difficult for all involved, Joyce had been relieved that Buffy had seemed to have settled into her new school well, and besides Principal Snyder none of the teachers had any problems with Buffy. Sure, she could sometimes get easily distracted in class, particularly if she was struggling to follow what the teacher was saying, but Joyce knew that nobody could ever claim her daughter didn’t try.

Shaking her head, she headed for the stairs. Rupert would be back soon with Willow, and Joyce wanted to speak with her daughter before they got back.

Her daughter’s bedroom door was shut, and Joyce knocked before opening it.

“Can I come in?” she asked, eyeing her daughter carefully.

Buffy was sprawled on the bed, face-down in the pillow. She made no move to invite Joyce in, but she also made no move to keep her out, and Joyce knew that meant she could probably enter. She slipped inside, closing the door behind her in case Rupert and Willow made their way back before the conversation with Buffy was over.

“I know you’re disappointed about your grade, honey,” Joyce said as she crossed to the bed. She sat on the edge; put a hand on Buffy’s back. “And I’m sorry that you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped. I know you tried your best-”

“Yeah, and my best isn’t good enough,” Buffy growled into her pillow, and it sounded like she’d been crying.

Joyce sighed. “A C- isn’t bad, Buffy. I wish you’d understand that.” 

“But you and Giles-”

Joyce frowned. “Buffy, is that what this is about?

Buffy sniffled, and turned her head to look at her mom. Her brow was furrowed, eyes a little red. “You and Giles are both _really_ good at history. Giles could probably _teach_ it, and here I am with my crappy C-. And I see how proud he is of Willow, and-”

“Buffy, I do wish you’d stop comparing yourself to Willow. She is a very bright girl, and Rupert _is_ proud of her. But he’s proud of you too.” Joyce pursed her lips for a moment before continuing. “I get the impression Willow doesn’t get much praise at home, and I think Rupert feels the same. He isn’t praising your friends in order to make you feel bad, honey. He’s doing it because they need to hear that someone’s proud of them just as much as you do.”

Buffy was silent at that, lips pursed and brow slightly furrowed as she took in her mom’s words.

“And I know it must be difficult seeing your friend get higher marks, particularly when you put so much effort in,” Joyce continued gently. “But you mustn’t compare yourself to anyone else, and you also mustn’t make them feel bad either.”

Buffy winced. “How mad is Willow?”

Joyce smiled tightly. “Not very, I don’t think. If anything, she seemed concerned. But you still made her feel uncomfortable, and I expect you to apologise the moment she gets back.”

Buffy’s brow furrowed further. “Back?” she echoed, confused.

Joyce’s smile turned into a grimace at that. “Rupert and I talked before dinner. We don’t like the thought of Willow being home alone, so she’ll be staying in the spare room tonight. Rupert’s taken her to pick up a change of clothes and her school things.”

“Her parents aren’t back until Monday,” Buffy said a little wistfully, “and Willow was saying how lonely she gets...” She trailed off pointedly, looking to her mom.

Joyce sighed, and gave a small smile. “Rupert and I already discussed Willow staying here for the weekend,” she admitted to her daughter. “But we thought we’d broach the subject of staying tonight first. Then tomorrow after school, Rupert will offer for her to come back here again.” She frowned. “I really don’t like the idea of her being home alone all weekend.”

“Neither do I,” Buffy admitted, pushing herself into a sitting position. She wrapped her arms around Joyce’s neck, hugging her tight. “Thanks for being such a good mom.”

* * *

When Giles and Willow got back to Revello Drive with a change of clothes and some toiletries for Willow, as well as her school supplies, Buffy was looking rather guilty in the front room.

“Will! I’m so sorry!”

Before Willow knew what was happening, the blonde had rushed across the room and engulfed her in a hug.

“Oh!” Willow said, caught by surprise as Buffy hugged her tight. Then, over the initial shock, she smiled and hugged her friend back. “It’s ok, Buff. And maybe next time I can read over your essay? We can probably figure out where you need to improve or whatever.” She pulled back, met Buffy’s gaze with a reassuring smile. “It’s probably just something simple like you didn’t quite explain your points enough.”

“You think so?” Buffy asked uncertainly. “I spent ages on it, Will. And, and I made loads of points! Really good points!”

Willow grinned. “That’s probably where you went wrong. Having lots of points is good, but not if you don’t explain them thoroughly enough. We’ve got the civil war essay soon, we can work on it together.”

Finally, Buffy smiled. “Sounds like a plan,” she said, feeling herself relax a little.

It was only then that they realised that neither Joyce nor Giles were anywhere to be seen. Knowing that her parents were likely giving her and Willow some space, Buffy steered her friend towards the couch.

“So, uh, Mom said you’re staying the night?”

Willow flushed a little at that. “Yeah. I- I mean, if it’s alright with you. I know you said earlier that this would probably happen, but-”

“Will, it’s fine,” Buffy interrupted with a soft smile. “Besides, it’ll be fun. Like a sleepover.”

“It’s a school night,” Willow pointed out with a frown.

Buffy rolled her eyes. “A very tame sleepover then.” She jumped to her feet. “Come on, I’ll show you to the spare room.”

* * *

Willow was a little perplexed when she got up the next day. She’d been woken by Joyce, and by the time she was dressed and downstairs, everyone else was already there. Joyce had made fresh orange juice, and Giles was in the middle of making pancakes. Buffy was playing a game on her phone, but she smiled when she saw her friend.

Joining Buffy at the breakfast bar, Willow took in the scene in front of her. She wasn’t sure when she’d last had a cooked breakfast. At her house, it was usually toast or cereal, what with her parents always either being busy or absent.

“Willow,” Giles greeted with a soft smile, “how many pancakes?”

Willow blinked at him. “Uh,” she said, flushing red. “I- I don’t know.”

Jumping to her friend’s aid, Buffy spoke up quickly. “She’ll have the same as me, Giles.”

Two fresh glasses of orange juice were set in front of the girls then, and Willow gave a small smile at Joyce.

“Thanks Mrs Giles.”

Joyce rolled her eyes, giving the girl a fond smile. “It’s Joyce, Willow. And you’re welcome.”

It was only a few minutes later that Giles set two plates of pancakes in front of the girls, both stacks four pancakes high.

“Did you girls want fruit, or syrup on your pancakes?” Joyce asked as she moved to the fridge. “Or both?”

“Fruit, please,” Willow said, just as Buffy very loudly declared “both!”

A bowl of berries was set on the counter, along with a bottle of maple syrup, and Willow watched with wide eyes as Buffy grabbed a bottle of syrup and upended it all over her breakfast. Giles rolled his eyes at his step-daughter’s actions, which Willow caught and smiled at. Spooning some of the fruit onto her own breakfast, Willow tucked into her breakfast.

* * *

To say that Xander and Faith were more than a little confused when both Buffy and Willow climbed out of Giles’s car would be an understatement.

“Wait, you got a ride?” Faith demanded, wide-eyed.

Giles rolled his eyes. “Faith, Willow’s parents are out of town, so Willow spent the night at our house. I was hardly going to make her walk to school when I could just as easily drive her and Buffy in.”

Faith still looked a little put-out, but Xander had a strange look on his face that seemed part understanding and part envious. Giles frowned a little at that. He recalled that Xander’s parents hadn’t attended parent-teacher night either, claiming his parents didn’t care enough. They’d been so focused, however, on Willow’s parents regularly leaving town without her, that the boy had slipped under his and Joyce’s radar. Pursing his lips, Giles left the children to it and headed to the library, deep in thought about Xander.

“What’s up with Giles?” Faith asked, watching the man go.

Buffy shrugged. “He’s probably just remembered he didn’t put a bookmark in a book he was reading, or something.”

The four teenagers moved towards the school.

“So, uh, a sleepover,” Xander said awkwardly. “Must have been fun.”

Faith snorted and Buffy rolled her eyes, but Willow gave Xander a sympathetic look.

“That’s my girlfriend you’re hitting on, Harris,” Faith said, slinging an arm around Buffy’s shoulders.

Xander’s cheeks flushed. “I wasn’t-”

“Sure you weren’t,” Faith responded with a smirk.

Xander looked like he was about to say something then, and the three girls stopped to stare at him. But then, he blinked, shook his head, and stared at the ground.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, before setting off towards the school. “Catch you guys later.”

As Xander hurried up the steps and into the school, Faith and Buffy shared a confused look.

“I was just kidding,” Faith said with a frown as she stared at Xander’s retreating form.

Beside her, Buffy looked concerned. “What was that about?”

Willow let out a sigh. “Xander’s parents aren’t exactly the greatest,” she admitted quietly. “I mean, you’ve heard the way Xander talks about them.” Willow gave Buffy a pained look. “I think me staying at yours last night might have upset him. I mean, at least my parents don’t-”

She broke off quickly, and both Buffy and Faith gave her alarmed looks.

“Willow?” Buffy said slowly. “What exactly do Xander’s parents do to him?”

Wide-eyed, the red-head stuttered. “W- Well, we never have a- any proof-”

Both Buffy’s and Faith’s eyes had gone hard.

“We’re going to see Giles. Now.” Buffy said.

Then she grabbed Willow’s arm and marched her up the steps of the school.

* * *

“I- I mean, we can never really _prove_ any of it,” Willow stuttered out, wide-eyed and shaky. “And, and most of the time it’s just yelling. He doesn’t hit Xander much unless he’s been drinking lots.” She frowned. “Sometimes he throws things, but he doesn’t have very good aim.” She shook herself. “We, we’ve told teachers before, but Mr Harris always says we’re lying and nobody listens to us!”

Giles had been very quiet and very tense since the moment the three girls had barrelled into the library. He had a frown on his face that Buffy knew meant he was very angry, a frown that she rarely saw. A small part of her was a little freaked about that, even though she knew that Giles wasn’t angry at _them_. She swallowed.

“So, uh, what do we do, Giles?” she asked when it became clear nobody else was going to speak.

Giles took a breath, shoved his hands in his pockets, and walked a few steps before pausing again. He was thinking about what to say, Buffy knew, and she wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

“Well,” he said after a tense silence, “I can certainly bring up my concerns to Principal Snyder, but I don’t have much faith in the man. Beyond that, and without proof that Xander is being...” He took another breath. “ _Mistreated_ , there isn’t much we can do. If we were to attempt to forcefully remove Xander from his family-”

“You’d do that?” Willow asked, eyes bright with hope. The very idea of Joyce and Giles simply grabbing Xander and taking him back to Revello Drive was more than a little bit reassuring. But Giles didn’t meet her eyes, and Willow sagged. “Oh,” she said quietly. “You _can’t_ do that.”

“No,” Giles agreed quietly. “As much as I may want to, I fear we could be charged with kidnapping.”

Faith frowned. “But Xander wouldn’t be kidnapped? I mean, it’s not like you’re gonna lock him in the basement. Why can’t he just live with you?”

“Because his parents wouldn’t allow it, Faith,” Giles explained gently. “Xander is a minor, and as such we can’t remove him from his parents’ care without due cause.”

“Well that sucks,” Buffy muttered, frowning. Then she met Giles’s gaze. “So how do we help?”

Giles’s jaw was tight. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I do know you three have class. Leave it with me, and I’ll see what I can do.”

He shooed them out of the library then, and the teenagers reluctantly went. And although Buffy caught the defeated slump of her step-father’s shoulders as they left, she kept her mouth shut.

* * *

When the teenagers returned to the library at the end of the day, a quiet Xander among them, Buffy was relieved to see that her step-dad was looking a lot more confident than he had that morning.

“Good day?” he asked as they made their way to the table. He was watching them from his office doorway, leaning against the door jamb and looking surprisingly calm.

Faith wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s _school_ ,” she said, as though that answered his question.

Giles arched an eyebrow. “Of course,” he responded dryly. “How silly of me.”

Xander had slumped into a seat beside Willow, and Buffy glanced worriedly at him before looking to her step-father. Seemingly taking the hint, Giles moved across the floor.

“I spoke to Joyce earlier,” he said, getting the teenagers’ attention, “and she and I both agreed that it might be a nice idea for the four of you to have a sleepover.”

Faith pulled a face. “A sleepover?” she echoed, sounding unimpressed.

Buffy nudged her girlfriend quickly, and gave a pointed look to Xander. Faith’s eyes widened in realisation.

“I mean,” the brunette girl continued quickly, trying to adopt a nonchalant attitude, “I suppose that sounds cool. As long as I don’t have to do homework.”

“Well,” Giles said, smirking a little at Faith’s comment, “as long as it’s alright with your parents, Joyce and I are more than happy to have you all at the house. And we’ll try our best not to be too embarrassing.” 

The last was directed to Buffy, who rolled her eyes but smiled.

“Sounds good,” Willow said with a smile. “I haven’t had a sleepover in _ages_.”

“Neither have I,” Buffy admitted. She looked to Giles. “Can we stop for snacks on the way home?”

Giles pretended to think for a moment. “I suppose so,” he said at last, “but you’ll want to leave room for pizza.”

Xander had been silent throughout the exchange, and cautious in a way that Giles had never seen him. It worried him.

“Xander?” he prompted gently. “Does that sound good to you?”

The boy blinked in confusion, and looked up at the librarian. “Wait,” he said, brow furrowed, “I’m invited too?”

“Why wouldn’t you be?” Buffy demanded before Giles could respond to the question. “You’re our _friend_ , Xander. We couldn’t have a sleepover without you!”

“Yeah,” Willow agreed, leaning into his side as she spoke, “besides, Giles makes really good pancakes for breakfast!”

Xander brightened a little then, but still looked a little concerned as he turned to Giles. “I, uh, I don’t have to stay the night,” he said awkwardly. “Or, or I could bring my tent, sleep in the yard.”

Giles frowned. “You’re not sleeping in the yard, Xander,” he said firmly, before internally wincing as the boy shrunk back a little. He took a breath, forced himself to speak in a gentler manner. “Joyce and I were thinking the four of you could camp out in the sitting room, if you liked. There would be more room than in Buffy’s bedroom, and you could stay up to watch movies.”

Faith was looking more and more interested, and more and more cheeky. “You have an age limit on those films, G?” she asked, the beginnings of a smirk tugging at her lips.

Giles rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Well, that depends on what you’re thinking,” he said. “I’m not letting you watch something Gwen won’t approve of.”

Faith deflated a little at that, and Buffy laughed.

“So,” Giles said, looking between Faith and Xander, “do you two perhaps need to phone your parents?”

Faith all but leapt out of her seat to run to Giles’s office and phone Gwen, but Xander stood and moved to Giles instead. Already, Buffy and Willow were eager discussing sleepover plans, and sensing that the boy wanted to talk, Giles drew Xander over to the counter.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say thanks,” Xander said quietly, and his dark eyes were wide and bright. “My folks aren’t exactly... Well,” he let out a tight, pained laugh, “I’ll spare you the details, but-”

“Xander,” Giles interrupted gently, “it’s fine. And if you ever need to get out of the house, whether it’s for an afternoon, or a night, or a couple of nights, you can always come to me and Joyce. We have a spare room, we’ve always got spare linens, and if push comes to shove and you don’t have time to grab your things, we’ve always got spare toiletries too.”

Xander swallowed thickly at that, eyes damp, and he gave a tight nod before examining his shoes. “I... I guess Willow told you, huh?” he said finally, and Giles was relieved to hear that his voice sounded a little lighter.

“She let it slip,” Giles admitted, voice low so the girls wouldn’t hear. “The girls were concerned about you this morning. Apparently you left them in rather a hurry, so they came to talk to me. Please don’t be angry at them.”

Xander gave the librarian a small smile. “I’m not,” he said, and he sounded like he meant it. “Will’s always looked out for me. I suppose it was only a matter of time before she came to you...”

Faith came out of the office then, a look of triumph on her face, and Xander gave Giles one final smile before heading to make his own phone call.

* * *

Giles drove the children home, making stops at each of their houses to pick up clothing and toiletries. The teenagers kept up a steady stream of chatter as they stopped by first Willow’s house and then Faith’s. Gwen even came out to hand over some money to Giles, forcing it on him when he tried to protest.

“I’ve seen Faith eat,” she said dryly. “If you’re offering to have her overnight, you’re going to need the money to feed her.”

But when they reached Xander’s house, the chatter died down into a vaguely uncomfortable silence.

“I’ll be quick,” Xander said, and nobody was sure if he was reassuring himself or them. 

He jumped out the car and hurried inside, and was back out in less than five minutes.

“Got everything?” Giles asked as the boy slid back into the passenger seat.

Xander frowned at his rucksack for a moment. “I think so,” he said slowly, before looking to the house somewhat warily.

In the backseat, the three girls shared an uncomfortable look.

“If you need anything else, we’ve probably got it at home,” Giles said decisively. “If not, I’m going to the store for snacks anyway.” 

He drove off before Xander could respond.

* * *

Joyce was waiting when they arrived home.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered the same pizzas we had on Buffy’s birthday,” she admitted with a small smile as they entered. “They seemed to go down well then, and I’m sure you’re all hungry. They’ll be here soon.”

The girls grinned, both Faith and Willow seeming to offer their thanks to Joyce- with Faith it was hard to tell. They then clattered through to the sitting room, but Xander remained in the hall. He was fumbling with something, and Joyce’s eyes widened as she saw it was money.

“This, uh, this is for the pizza,” Xander said a little awkwardly, thrusting several crumpled dollar bills at Joyce and Giles. “I know it’s not much, but it’s all I’ve got.”

Joyce blinked, unsure how to respond. Giles frowned.

“Xander,” he said gently, “I’ve already told you, there’s no need to thank us. Or pay us, for that matter.”

The boy swallowed, still holding the bills out. “Are you sure?” he asked, shifting a little uncomfortably. “I mean, Gwen gave you money. And if Willow’s parents were ever around, they probably would too.”

“It’s fine,” Joyce said, giving the boy a reassuring smile. “Go on, go watch some TV. I’ll give you kids a shout when the pizza’s arrived.”

With a small, uncertain smile, Xander pocketed the money and went to join the girls in the sitting room.

* * *

“What exactly are we going to do?” Joyce asked quietly as she sat at the breakfast bar.

Giles sighed. “I’m not sure there’s much we can do.” He shook his head, jaw set. “I’d thought Willow’s parents were bad enough, abandoning her on a regular basis in favour of conferences and conventions. For psychologists, they seem rather oblivious to their own daughter’s emotional wellbeing. But Xander’s parents...” He trailed off with a frustrated noise, and glared at the wall behind Joyce.

The pizza had come and gone, Giles had done the promised snack run, and the teens were laughing and chatting in the sitting room as they watched some movie or other. Joyce and Giles had retreated to the kitchen to give them some space, and it hadn’t been long before the conversation had turned towards poor parenting decisions other parents made.

“I just wish there was some certainty that those kids will be ok,” Joyce sighed. “I hate the idea of Xander ever having to go home to those parents of his, or Willow being abandoned again.”

Giles leaned his forearms on the breakfast bar. “The only thing we can try is making it clear to them that they can come here whenever they want. I’ve already spoken with Xander about it, briefly, but I’m not sure he took much of it in.” 

“If I maybe talk to Willow about it,” Joyce suggested quietly, “that might make Xander feel more comfortable. That way he isn’t being singled out. And if we make it clear to Buffy that her friends are welcome any time, that might help too.”

“We just have to be careful that she doesn’t take that to mean having Faith over at all hours,” Giles pointed out, though he had relaxed a little and had a small smile on his face.

Joyce’s eyes widened as she considered that. “I’ll make it clear that we mean Willow and Xander,” she said after a moment. “Buffy knows what things are like for them. She’ll understand.”

They could hear the children moving about, apparently drawing closer to the kitchen, and Joyce and Giles shared a look as they realised what was coming.

“And in the meantime,” Giles said, just as Buffy barrelled into the kitchen demanding hot cocoa, swiftly followed by Xander, Willow, and Faith asking for the same, “we’re going to need to keep the cupboards well-stocked.”

Joyce watched with a smile as, shaking his head, Giles moved over to the kitchen cupboard to grab the tin of drinking cocoa, Buffy and her friends crowding around him. Well-stocked cupboards. She could cope with that.


End file.
